Find out how popular the last name Tays is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tays.

Tays, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tays surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tays in America

Tays is the 32960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tays surname appeared 695 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tays.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tays to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Tays

The surname "TAYS" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old English word "tæs," which means a bundle or a bunch, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with bundles or bunches of materials such as hay, straw, or wool.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable reference is in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where a John Tays is listed as a taxpayer. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1301 mention a William Tays.

In the 15th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of England, with records showing individuals named Tays residing in counties such as Norfolk, Suffolk, and Somerset. One notable figure from this period was Richard Tays, a merchant from Bristol who was involved in the wool trade in the late 15th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname underwent various spelling variations, including Tayes, Taies, and Taise, reflecting the inconsistencies in record-keeping and spelling conventions of the time. In the 1567 Muster Rolls of Gloucestershire, a Thomas Taise is listed as a landowner.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name in the United States was John Tays, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. He is recorded as having received a land grant in the colony and establishing a family line in the New World.

Other notable individuals with the surname Tays include:

1. Thomas Tays (c. 1600-1670), an English merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire.
2. William Tays (1725-1792), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.
3. Margaret Tays (1810-1888), a Scottish author and poet known for her works on Scottish culture and folklore.
4. Edward Tays (1855-1928), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Tays Foundation in New York City.
5. Charles Tays (1892-1965), a British architect and urban planner who contributed to the rebuilding efforts in London after World War II.

While the surname Tays may not be as widespread as some others, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tays

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tays.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tays was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tays has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tays was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tays, please contact us.

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